First things first…H&M CANADA ONLINE SHOPPING HAS FINALLY LAUNCHED!!! And if you sign up to be on the brand’s mailing list, you will receive 20% off your purchase and free shipping until Oct 30th! What this means for those who are looking to shop the KENZO x H&M collection? Well, you just got an alternative to lining up in the middle of the night. But don’t rely on online shopping as your only way of getting those coveted pieces – sites are known to crash due to high demand.

Now that I got that off my chest (seriously, I’ve been waiting for H&M online shop for AGES!), we can look at Elizabeth Olsen’s amazing KENZO x H&M getup. These two pajama-inspired pieces are at the top of my list, and I love how she styled them with a pair of velvet heels. So perfect. For those who have yet to embrace pajamas as daywear, I don’t know what you’re waiting for. It’s comfy and chic, and I am all about it. Obviously, Lupita Nyong’o also looks super gorgeous in that amazing printed dress, but in this instance, my eyes are permanently glued to Elizabeth Olsen’s outfit.

Are you excited about H&M Canada online shopping being available??? Do you love the pajama trend? Share in the comments!

Another TIFF has come and gone, and all I’m left with is residual fatigue and lots of amazing memories. 30 minutes in the same room as Ryan Gosling? Check. Brunch with Sigourney Weaver? Check (well, kinda). Below are my most memorable moments from #TIFF16!

1. Variety Studio
Always a highlight of my TIFF, Variety Studio is usually located in a pretty small room with a handful of famous people going in and out, where you have to act cool, even when you really want to fangirl like you’ve never fangirled before. I’ve visited Variety Studio as a guest of Moroccanoil for the last few years, and I always walk away with lots of juicy star observations. This year, I breathed the same air as Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, John Legend, Gael Garcia Bernal, Gerard Butler, Gemma Arterton, Bill Nighy, Sam Claflin, Miranda Cynthia Nixon, and the cast of The Eagle Huntress.

Despite being in the same room as Ryan Gosling for nearly 30 minutes, I didn’t actually talk to the Canadian heartthrob. But I did watch him, like a creeper that I am. Ryan was shorter than I imagined, and looked very serious the entire time he was at the lounge (unlike Emma Stone, who was animated and smiled a lot). Strangely, I didn’t see the two interact very much – Emma was mostly with her people and Ryan with his. The only time we got to see Ryan’s warmer side, was when he spotted the star of The Eagle Huntress Aisholpan in her native garb, and went over to introduce himself. After a brief chat, he offered to take photos with Aisholpan and her family. I wasn’t quite sure whether the Kazakh family actually knew who Ryan was, but they were happy to snap a few photos with the actor. At the end of his visit, Ryan took some time to sign a postcard for Airbnb and Make-A-Wish foundation, and while waiting for the elevator, he stood right in front of me for nearly 5 minutes. It took all of my strength not to be that person and ask him for a photo; I played it cool instead…but those were the longest 5 minutes of my life. File this one under #TIFFregrets.

Just like in prior years, the British actors were my faves. They just seem to have a camaraderie that the Hollywood actors don’t seem to posses. This year, I watched the cast of Their Finest, including Sam Claflin, Gemma Arterton, and Bill Nighy, work the room and charm everyone in the vicinity. Bill Nighy made eye contact with anyone around him and said “hello”, which shouldn’t seem like a big deal, but it really is, because most of the stars don’t even make eye contact with the “civilians”. Gemma looked relaxed and beautiful, as did Sam, who seemed to be in a good mood and looked very friendly. Sam played the Holt Renfrew claw machine and had to try a couple of times before finally winning. It was cute to see how competitive he got. He also came by the Moroccanoil station to learn more about the products and walked away with a goodie bag of his own.

Other lucky guests who took home some Moroccanoil included John Legend (who chose to walk 6 flights of stairs down instead of waiting for the elevator), Cynthia Nixon (who came in looking a bit stern, but seemed to liven up at the sight of Moroccanoil…seriously!), Richard Gere (who popped in for a few minutes and was gone in a flash), and Gael Garcia Bernal (who was just as cute as I remember from back in 2007 when I met him at MTV, but didn’t spare a minute to sign the Airbnb/Make-A-Wish postcard, which was disappointing).

2. Brunch at Brassaii
Stargazing is a pretty popular activity during TIFF. You can find throngs of fans camping out on King St, in front of theatres, and waiting outside of various hotels, but did you know that you can have brunch at Brassaii, where all sorts of movie stars arrive to attend the Hollywood Reporter Lounge? It’s true! My friend Al and I stopped by Brassaii to try their new brunch menu, and in just one hour, we watched Sigourney Weaver walk in and out (apparently she requested a special vegetarian soup), and saw Felicity Jones in a pretty striped outfit. Had we had more time to hang out, we would’ve also seen Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner, Douglas Booth and Bill Nighy, Christian Bale and Oscar Isaac, Pharrell and Taraji P. Henson (who was greeted with a banana cream tart, lemon meringue tart, a white chocolate/dark chocolate brownie, and a Happy Birthday song). It’s so easy – the stars literally come to you, and you don’t have to jockey for position, or stand in lines for hours – just enjoy delicious food like Oreo Pancakes and Fried Chicken and Waffles, while trying not to pass out when Ryan Gosling strolls by.

Looking dapper (and a little jet-lagged) in his blue Gucci suit, Fassbender was generous with his answers, and delved deep into the things that make him tick. One quote that seems to have gotten the most attention was the one about Michael’s performance as Magneto in X-Men. Despite the numerous reports claiming that he was embarrassed by his portrayal of Magneto, it sounded like he was only referring to the scene shown during the conversation, and as Fassbender described it was “just like some dude shouting”.

I wish I’d recorded the entire conversation, but I didn’t want to disturb my seatmates with the bright light of my phone, so here’s what I remember about the rest of the on-stage conversation.

Liam Cunningham moved in with Michael Fassbender for a couple of weeks to prepare for the infamous 23-minute and 27-page long one-take scene in Hunger, where Fassbender has a lengthy dialogue with Liam Cunningham’s character. “We got up every morning, cooked porridge, and we started rehearsing,” says Fassbender. “We did it every day for 11 days and had people bring lunch to us. The goal was to do it ten to 15 times a day and then Steve would come in in the evening and watch us, give us some notes, next day same thing.” Obviously, Magneto and Ser Davos were great roomies, since they only had to do 4 takes during filming.

In real life, Magneto’s superpower is power-napping. “I’m a great power napper. Having been a mutant with superhero powers, that is my real superhero power. I could do it now. I could just lie down on the stage, if it goes that way. There is the downside to it, when I get tired, I have to sleep. I can’t keep awake.”

When talking about his physicality in acting, we learned that shoes (or lack thereof) is one of the most important parts of Fassbender’s wardrobe, as choice of footwear grounds him “from the feet up”.

When asked about which film was the most personal to him, Hunger was his answer, “because I was hungry…to act, and quite literally”.

In a moment of self-deprecation, Fassbender admitted that he didn’t make a great first impression on Director Steve McQueen. “I think he said I was arrogant? I guess maybe I was a little defensive. I hadn’t been working a lot, and I don’t know how I came across in the room. I thought I came across well, but that just goes to show how much I know.”

If you were wondering about what turns him on, it seems that watching his movies for the first time with a live audience does the trick. “I get off on it a little bit. It’s nice when the sort of nerves and excitement are at maximum and you get to experience it with a very passionate audience and they’re usually very honest as well, so you get the full effect, as it were.”

A self-described “slow-learner”, Fassbender went into a bit of a panic when he received the “mountainous” script for Steve Jobs. “In rehearsals I was trying to find a way to get out of the job,” he said. “I remember telling my driver, ‘If I put my arm in the door, you should slam it. It should cause a break and it should get me out of this gig.'” Luckily, Michael kept his limbs clear of car doors, and ended up with an Oscar nomination as a result. Not bad for a slow-learner!

After being asked about working with Director Quentin Tarantino, Fassbender revealed that when he was 18, he directed and starred as Mr. Pink in a stage version of Reservoir Dogs. As such, being directed by Tarantino in Inglorious Basterds was “pretty special”.

After the interview, we headed upstairs to Malaparte for the cocktail party, where to my surprise, Fassbender was making the rounds, chatting with people and taking photos. I felt a little bad about stalking him around the room, but not bad enough to stop – I was too excited.

Michael looked great in person, with warm eyes and smile, and had a welcoming energy about him. He laughed often and when it was finally my turn to have a brief conversation with the man of the hour, I am embarrassed to say that I froze up a bit, and could only mumble something about my love of his acting and my appreciation of his performance in Fish Tank. Looking back, I wish I’d asked one of the many questions that were swirling in my head, but hopefully next time. After our brief chat, my friend Anita and I were lucky enough to actually get a photo with Fassy thanks to Nick from Best of Toronto. Giddy like schoolgirls, we let his handler lead him away to the next group of admirers, while we stood around, unable to believe our luck.

And while TIFF has only just begun, without a doubt in my mind, the TIFF Soirée was the best part of the festival for me – even if it happened before the official Day 1. Stay tuned for more TIFF coverage as the festival continues.

The first Monday in May is here and so is the annual Met Gala aka Fashion Oscars. After poring over hundreds of celeb pics, I have to say that it was probably one of my fave red carpets in a while…which is why I had such a tough time choosing my faves. This year, there were so many interesting dresses, I couldn’t narrow down my choices to the usual “best” and “worst”, and so, I am just going to post all of the looks that I’d found either exciting, or super boring/terrible, so that you can judge for yourself.

Perhaps the red carpet was extra exciting thanks to this year’s theme – Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology. Anna Wintour arrived wearing one of my fave looks from CHANEL Haute Couture Spring 2016 collection, and knowing first-hand how important both technology and innovation are in creating a lot of the CHANEL looks, I loved her choice that much more. Other stand-outs included Solange in an origami-like David Laport frock of my dreams, Zoe Saldana sporting a gown with an exaggerated peacock-like train, Nicole Kidman in an ethereal caped creation, Kristen Stewart in yet another stunning CHANEL dress, Claire Danes in a glow-in-the-dark ball gown, and Lena Dunham, Jenna Lyons, and Jennifer Konner in custom-made J.Crew tuxes – so fresh and so cool, though perhaps not exactly adhering to the theme of the night.

I have to say that I was very disappointed to see Michelle Williams in a completely forgettable and way-too-casual dress, which was made even worse by her terrible new bangs and drab makeup – a rare misstep for this usually stylish actress. Other misses included Grimes in an ill-fitting dress and dishevelled hair, SJP in a puzzling get-up, Kerry Washington looking like she was going to a Halloween party dressed as a witch, and a whole bunch of people like Elle Fanning, Katie Holmes, Amber Heard, Emily Ratajkowski, Maria Sharapova, among others, who wore completely forgettable dresses, definitely not worthy of the Met Gala. Last, but not least, Taylor Swift, who was the co-chair of this year’s event, totally missed the mark in a cocktail dress that could have come from Banana Republic (no offence to Banana Republic, but it’s usually not Met Gala appropriate).

And there you have it, my faves and not-so-faves from this year’s Met Gala. Which looks did you like? Share your best and worst in the comments.

CHANEL muse and ambassadress Kristen Stewart has yet another CHANEL campaign under her belt – this time in support of the “Paris in Rome” collection. Photographed in black and white by Karl Lagerfeld, Kristen is posing as a sultry Cinema Italiano star wearing the pre-fall 2016 collection. It’s always good to see Kristen dress up, since her everyday style is so casual. The ads are slated to appear in magazines sometime in June, but you and I don’t have to wait this long to check out the stellar new images thanks to the power of internet!

What do you think of this ad campaign? Do you like Kristen Stewart as a CHANEL muse? Share in the comments.

It wasn’t the super exciting red carpet that I was hoping for, but I’ll take what I can get. For one, you can always count on Naomi Watts to wear something beautiful but not overwrought to the Oscars. I loved her colourful fishscale-like gown by Armani Prive. The necklace was a nice touch, I just wish she went with a choker instead. Otherwise, she looked perfect.

I was also pleasantly surprised to see Amy Poehler slay it on the red carpet tonight. Amy’s embroidered Andrew Gn gown is fun, flattering, and definitely not boring. She looked amazing, and you can tell that she was feeling good too.

Brie Larson is widely considered a favourite to win the Best Actress Oscar…but her choice of a gown is leaving me completely baffled. If you’d told me that this dress is from the Mother of the Bride section of Laura Petites store, I would believe you. It’ just so bad! From the ruffles, to the colour, to that bridal sash…it’s SO BAD! I am certain that Brie had access to the best of the best, and this is what she ended up choosing. It’s baffling to me.

JLaw is another Oscar-fave. She is nominated again this year, and she showed up wearing this. What the hell is this dress??? It’s Dior Hate (typo and it stays) Couture, but it doesn’t make it good. It’s kinda awful actually. Paired with that makeup and hair, her entire look shouts middle-aged. Where’s that fresh-faced ingenue? Where’s the excitement? I think it’s time to find a new stylist!

It’s no secret that I have a special kind of love for H&M. You can usually find me stalking this or that item at one of their stores at least twice a week. It’s an addiction, and probably a problem, but I like it that way…really. Well, after what felt like a million years, H&M Eaton Centre has finally revealed its spectacular renovation, with bright decor, stunning lighting fixtures, and lots and lots more square footage. The flagship location now boasts 57,000 square feet, and carries H&M Home, H&M Beauty, along with all the usual suspects. It’s now one of the largest H&M stores in the world, and it’s right here in Toronto! So to celebrate this major achievement, Team H&M threw a huge party organized by the inimitable Candice & Alison, with celeb performances by Taryn Manning and Alessia Cara, Sam and Cailli Beckerman on the red carpet, Jay Strut DJing, and a ton of stylish guests toasting the newly re-opened store.

Of course, the first thing I did as we entered the store was run over to the H&M Studio section and grab a few coveted pieces, followed by a trip down the escalator to check out the new H&M Home section. It may have been the excitement, but the home section looked larger than the ones I saw in New York, while the selection was essentially the same – a wide assortment of cushion covers, cute bedding and towels, adorable knick-knacks, and lots more. One more reason to keep my weekly appointments at H&M. Now that Toronto has every single H&M category available, the next logical step is ONLINE SHOPPING! US has had an e-commerce site for nearly three years now, here’s hoping for a Canadian one soon. Fingers crossed!

I usually love to watch the Golden Globes live – from the red carpet arrivals to the show itself – I find it more entertaining than almost any other award show. But this weekend, I simply forgot all about it! So this Best Dressed list was based on photos and photos alone. To tell you the truth, it was a bit challenging selecting 10 favourite looks, as a lot of celebrities and their stylists opted for either been-there-seen-that, or snoozeville looks. With that said, here are my faves.

Olivia Wilde is not my usual style favourite. Her style is uneven at best, but this time, in this oxblood Michael KorsCollection gown, she looks ravishing (if we overlook her demon-like eye makeup). The dress fits her like a glove, the colour suits her skin tone, and while I think that necklace is completely unnecessary, she still looks mighty good. Bonus points for keeping it real and rocking a pair of great custom-made ALDO heels(#WearCanada FTW!).

It’s no secret that Cate Blanchett is a superior human being, and as such, she would probably make this list no matter what she decides to put on, but it helps when she shows up in a visually-arresting Givenchy gown. I wish some of those strings/dress hairs weren’t so stringy, but beggars can’t be choosers. Other than a stray string or two, Cate The Great looks impeccable, no surprise here.

I’m not sure why Kate Bosworth was at the Globes tonight, but the fact is, the woman’s got style. This sequinned Dolce & Gabbana gown looks great on her, the print is interesting, and I love that she chose minimal accessories, letting the dress shine.

Alicia Vikander is quickly becoming my new favourite. Even the fact that she’s dating my boyfriend Michael Fassbender can’t stop me from liking her. She’s marvellous in The Danish Girl, and has been killing it at every event she attends. I am not madly in love with this Louis Vuitton gown, but she makes it work. I love the stripes, the criss-cross back, and the ruffles around the neckline; it’s both chic and simple, and in my opinion, it’s certainly one of the best looks of the night.More after the jump![Read more…]

If you’re a hardcore CHANEL fan like me, fascinated by Coco Chanel, and have always dreamed about getting a behind-the-scenes look at the brand’s origins and craftsmanship, then you MUST visit the upcoming Mademoiselle Privé CHANEL Exhibit in London! To be held at the prestigious Saatchi Gallery from October 13th – November 1st, this event promises to deliver an intimate and fascinating journey for all CHANEL obsessives.

The exhibition will “highlight the Haute Couture, the re-editions of the High Jewellery “Bijoux de Diamants” collection created in 1932 and CHANEL No5. Opening the doors to reveal a dazzling experience and immersion into the origins of CHANEL’s creations, “Mademoiselle Privé” will capture the charismatic personality and irreverent spirit of Mademoiselle Chanel and Karl Lagerfeld.” With complimentary workshops four times a day, visitors will learn about Lesage embroidery, Maison Lemarié feather and flower creations, as well as the iconic CHANEL No5 perfume and its ingredients. Tickets to these workshops can be reserved in advance, starting October 7th, so mark that date on your calendars.

Even the setup of the exhibition sounds magical – starting with a contemporary English garden, that will lead into the gallery reminiscent of Gabrielle Chanel’s apartment, and several rooms, each representing symbolic places, such as 31 rue Cambon and the Place Vendôme in Paris. The “Mademoiselle Privé” exhibition will end with a ‘Jardin à la Française’ – 18th century garden, inspired by the interlocking C’s that Mademoiselle first saw in the stained-glass windows at Aubazine orphanage. This garden will combine “the symbols of Mademoiselle’s childhood, the enigma and the mystery of her years at the orphanage, with Karl Lagerfeld’s knowledge and passion for the French 18th century garden.”

WHAT I WORE

WHO IS NELIA?

Nelia Belkova is a Toronto-based fashion and lifestyle blogger by night and a financial analyst by day. She loves to travel, read gossip sites, eat sweets, and cuddle up to her husband and her cat on the couch. Read More…